Winterizing A Motorhome

[LivingLikeEachDayIsMyLast]

Draining the potable water system on a motorhome is no guarantee that a pocket of water sitting in a pipe somewhere won't freeze & burst the pipe. I've had it happen a few times on different units I've owned. Some places, like my tub & shower, are nearly impossible to get access to the damaged part for repair.

To alleviate any possibility of pipes or fittings freezing, I set the gas furnace on it's lowest setting & let it run the entire winter. The expense of propane & electricity is not near as painful as trying to repair pipework that is nearly impossible to get to. Not to mention the flooding of the interior that will occur when a water supply is hooked up to check the system before you head out on a camping trip.

[dwightginnyputzke]

and during the winter I leave the front door to my house wide open so that I don't have to open or close it as I go in and out.

See the top of page 80 in the 2010 Camping world Master Catalog. It will take the LP truck longer to fill your tank one time, then it will for you to "blow out" the potable water piping. I installed a ball valve to easily drain the water heater and I use a handy rugged 120 volt electric "milk house heater" ($20 at Walmart) set at 40 degrees to heat the pump and water tank compartment if I don't drain the water tank at that time. I motor home in Minnesota winters.

Back to page 80. To do the job right you need = c.rv antifreeze = e.blow out plug screwed on the end of your 25' water fill hose = g.pump converter winterizer kit. I believe the $79.00 installation charge should be for a complete winterize.

[hermanmullins]

Draining the potable water system on a motorhome is no guarantee that a pocket of water sitting in a pipe somewhere won't freeze & burst the pipe. I've had it happen a few times on different units I've owned. Some places, like my tub & shower, are nearly impossible to get access to the damaged part for repair.

To alleviate any possibility of pipes or fittings freezing, I set the gas furnace on it's lowest setting & let it run the entire winter. The expense of propane & electricity is not near as painful as trying to repair pipework that is nearly impossible to get to. Not to mention the flooding of the interior that will occur when a water supply is hooked up to check the system before you head out on a camping trip.

Last day, If you have a air compressor handy you can remove all the water from your water lines. Thay make a small fitting that attaches to your water hose. you can apply a small amount of air 10 or 15 psi and open each water faucet one at a time. you will need to add more air as you go through your rig. This will eliminate all water in your lines and will be no need to heat your rig.

If you do drain your lines or add antifreeze to your lines don't forget to pour some down all drains and add some to your toilet bowl.

[jmonroe]

Hmm. I'm guessing the cost of propane, to run your furnace all winter, is a lot more than the cost of the RV anti freeze I fill the lines with.

In 30 years of RVing, I've never had a freeze related problem, in spite of getting well below zero temps at least some time most winters.

[danddferr]

I live in New England and yes it gets cold here! ( Had snow yesterday! ) The cost of RV antifreeze is cheap insurance. Never had an issues in any of my rigs when I've used it. Did lose a fixture when I just drained the lines. ( Then I started using the antifreeze! ) Now it doesn't take that long to clean out and sanitizing in the spring.

Dan

[bigdgr]

Does anyone have any ideas on winterizing the ice maker ? Thanks, Darrell

[jaf722]

I don't have an ice maker myself, but I expect you can get antifreeze up to your ice maker when you are pumping antifreeze up to your other outlets using your electric water pump. I do the additional step of blowing out my lines then adding the RV antifreeze to them. It keeps the antifreeze from being diluted out, so in the Spring I can collect the antifreeze and use it again next Winter (only use it a second time, then use fresh antifreeze the 3rd year).

With your ice maker, make sure the arm on the ice maker is down and water is out of the ice form. The ice maker will then be calling for water. Take paper towels and blot-out the water in the ice maker forms. Then using the same conditions, pump in your antifreeze. It should go to the ice maker form and you should see the red antifreeze in the ice form. If the ice form is good and red with antifreze, the waterline to the ice maker has been winterized.